


Short-Lived Reconciliation

by PurpleGentian



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman Zero | Mega Man Zero
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 07:44:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9874121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleGentian/pseuds/PurpleGentian
Summary: Zero and Iris get one last moment to reconcile, before Mega Man Zero's events begin. This is set directly after Mega Man X5.





	

“Zero.”

Hearing that voice was unnerving. Zero knew who the other voice was, and it saddened him to hear it.

“Iris.”

A manifestation of Iris appeared before him, after he had “perished” during the Eurasia Space Colony incident. Zero had no idea how long he had been truly dead, but something told him that he was likely to be resurrected. 

Why didn't the humans remake Iris? They could gather her parts from a scrapyard, same as his, and yet she went ignored and forgotten by them. This known fact ate at him, and though he valued humanity on the whole, they did not particularly value him as more than a weapon. On most days, he would be fine with it.

“Zero, I... I'm sorry for what happened.” Iris' expression became more melancholy, “I acted irrationally, and hurt you.”

Zero did not say anything back. He just embraced Iris tightly, and tenderly. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't sound cringey. He had seen the tapes of his own meltdown when Iris passed away, for Signas recorded it and played it back during a monthly assessment. What was he fighting for?

To not hurt anyone like Iris ever again. That was what he fought for.

“...Zero... do you forgive me?” Iris' voice cracked, almost as if she was about to cry. Reploids could cry, even if they did not emit tears to do so.

“Yes.” His answer was terse. “I've always loved you. Not a day went by where I didn't think of you.”

Iris hugged him tightly, then and there, as well. No one could make an embrace feel this good, Zero thought. He hugged her even more. They “cried” it out, vocally, glad to be able to reconcile with each other. Zero eventually saw a light, and Iris pulled away towards it.

“...we could be together again, forever,” Iris propositioned, as they motioned towards the light.

“...I'd love that,” Zero did not have much reason to continue. He protected X fiercely with all his might, and hopefully the original Reploid had things taken care of back “home.” He willingly walked with her, trying to resolve his own issues. He had already given Sigma the thorough ass-beating that he genuinely deserved, and with X's help they would put down the last Mavericks. Granted, there was still that Dynamo guy, but they had stopped Eurasia from crashing into Earth. 

Unfortunately, Zero was frozen in movement. He heard Wily's laughter, heard Sigma's laughter, and heard X's laughter. Iris continued moving, until she noticed that Zero's hand was no longer holding hers. She turned around, looking shocked as she saw he was paralyzed.

“Zero?!”

“...there are voices. I'm... I'm hearing them.” He was being truthful, and that was the horrifying part.

Iris went over to hug Zero. It was clear that he was being rebuilt again. Dr. Cain was long dead now, so he was not the culprit this time. However, what human would rebuild him? Sigma mentioned that he had a friend who made robots, but Zero had no idea who this “friend” was. 

He was then pulled away from her, and from the light. Colonel's laughter and Magma Dragoon's laughter was added to the mix, as well as a few “Hadoken” and “Shoryuken” sounds. It was a nightmare to behold. 

“Iris!”

She gripped onto his hand tightly, and was pulled alongside him. Someone, something, was pulling him. It was likely he was being rebuilt, and without her. Before the Repliforce rebellion, he would not have had a problem with this. But, his time with Iris had been utter bliss. As such, it was evident that he would feel remorseful for continued happenstances with Maverick Hunter Head Quarters. The worst part was that he had tried pitching for Iris to be rebuilt after the fact, only for human scientists and technicians to turn him down every time. 

“It's happening again, isn't it?” Iris frowned, “You're being brought back.”

“It is,” Zero could not sugarcoat the matter. Why should he, anyway? “It feels like hell.”

Indeed, it was hell. He felt his body being torn apart, and it showed in the cracks of his armour. His “data” was being maintained, but his body had been separated from it. What the shell of his body would become, was unknown.

“...Zero, why? Why do the humans do this?” Iris was frightened, “Why do they do this to us?”

Zero reached a hand to hold Iris', but he was pulled even farther away. She jumped forward in a maneuver similar to a maneuver he saw Slash Beast do, where she tackle-pounced Zero to hold him. It did not work, and he was continually dragged further away from the light. 

“I'll always love you!” Iris' anguished voice was something that made Zero uncomfortable, because it meant she was suffering. “Come back, please!” She did not understand, for no one other than him actually loved her. Colonel? He willingly threw his life away for combat? General? Iris was a casualty he openly admitted to not regretting. Spiral Pegacion? Pegacion had a harder crush on Colonel and only the Maverick Virus made any clarification on Iris being appreciated, but otherwise nothing came about. No one else in Repliforce seemed to actually care, or they threw her name around to insult Zero.

Their separation was finalized, when Zero awoke on an operating table, in a new body that was not his own.

That's how the story of Mega Man Zero began.


End file.
